Hot water heating system



Jan. 18, 1938. A. SALMONSEN 2,105,893

HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEM Filed May 6, 1936 I N VE INTO R 7073/7 ja/mo/zs e/ ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to hot water heating systems, and is more particularly directed to hot water heating systems having a single storage tank and a plurality of external heaters,

any one of which may be operated at will.

According to the present invention, each heating unit is associated with an automatic check valve in the outlet water line leading to the top of the storage tank.

These valves are so designed that each valve will open to allow hot water to pass from the heating element in operation to the boiler, and all the other ball valves close so that there is no circulation of water through the heating element not in operation.

By employing the arrangement to be described in detail herein, it is possible for a single hot water tank to be used with a plurality of heaters and have the flow of water automatically controlled. The devices provided eliminate all necessity for manually controlled valves as well as all possibility of explosion on account of failure to open manually operated valves.

The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, one 0 of the many possible embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawing is illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a boiler with two heating elements; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through an automatic check valve.

The boiler I0 is provided with the usual inlet and outlet pipes H and I2 to supp-1y cold water to the boiler and furnish the hot water for use. Two heating elements are indicated at l3 and I4. These heating elements may be gas or oil fired, or be the heating element in a furnace or coal fire stove.

As shown in the drawing, the bottom of each heating element is connected by suitable piping with a cold water outlet pipe [5 located at the bottom of the boiler. Above each heating element in the hot water outlet line is a ball valve IS. The pipes lead upwardly from the ball valve 5 and join, as indicated, at the Y H, and the hot water enters the top of the boiler by a pipe indicated at l8.

In the form shown in Fig. 2, the outlet pipes and 2| are interrupted by the ball valve construction. This employs a casing 22 threaded to the upper pipe, a seat member 23 threaded to the lower pipe and to the casing, and a ball 24.

This ball may be solid and made of material slightly heavier than water, or it may be made of metal, as indicated, and provided with a hole 25 which permits water to enter the inside of the ball. forming member 23 and will prevent the flow of water downwardly through the ball valve.

Should either of the heaters be started in operation, the rising warm water will raise the ball oif its seat, so that the water can pass into the upper part of the tank. Circulation through the tank is made necessary by reason of the fact that the other ball valves used prevent downward flow of water through the branch pipe lines.

It will be apparent that one can operate either heater, or can operate both heaters, at the same time, and that at no time will it be necessary for one to operate, manually, valves in the water circulating system.

Whenever a heating element is started into operation, the water heated therein will have free passage to the top of the boiler and hence there is no possibility of over-heating the coils in the heating elements, causing an explosion.

The devices herein shown are inexpensive to make and install and unlikely to get out of order and make it possible to safely install gas fired or oil fired heaters for use when the furnace or coal stove employed for heating the water is out of service.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, and I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a storage tank for hot water, of a plurality of independently operable, external hot water heating elements each having at its bottom a valveless water supply connection with the bottom of the tank, and at its top a water discharge connection with the top of the tank, each of said discharge connections including a normally gravity closed valve capable of automatically opening in response to the differential in pressure created by the thermosyphon circulation of water when the corresponding heating element is functioning to heat the water therein and of preventing reverse flow of water through the heating element not functioning, whereby either heating element may be utilized for heating water, the other element being in reserve.

The ball normally rests on the seat 2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the Water supply connections with the bottom of the tank have a portion in common, and the discharge connections into the top of the tank have a portion in common, whereby an external circulating circuit is provided by the two heating units and the valve for the non-functioning 

